TrueAchievements' Cheater Policy

What is your policy on cheats?

At TrueAchievements, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of our platform while ensuring it remains accessible to as many users as possible. Our community has expressed a strong preference for excluding cheated games and profiles from the TrueAchievements statistics and leaderboards. To uphold this standard, we have implemented a Cheat Policy that enables us to identify and flag profiles that have used unfair methods to gain achievements. These games and profiles are subsequently removed from our statistics.

The following sections will outline how we define cheating, detail the investigation process, and explain the consequences for profiles found in violation of our policy.

How do you define cheating?

Cheating involves using unauthorised methods to gain unfair advantages or achievements in games.

Cheating Actions:

  • Using profile editors, trainers, or similar software to unlock achievements.
  • Gamesaving: Using a save from a different profile or from a different version/platform outside of supported game mechanics.
  • Profile swapping (Second Profile Glitch): Transferring a save or game statistics from one profile to another.
  • Editing or manipulating game files to unlock achievements, alter achievement requirements or to unlock options disabled by developers.
  • Manually adding or editing files in mod-enabled games to unlock achievements or alter achievement requirements.
  • Launching a game with command line arguments (or using software to do so) for the purpose of unlocking achievements, altering achievement requirements or to unlock options disabled by developers.
  • Account sharing: Unlocking achievements over prolonged periods that would be impossible for a single family unit to do legitimately.
  • Account linking: Unlocking achievements by linking an account that isn’t your own.

Cheating is not limited to the examples listed above. This list will be updated as new forms of cheating are discovered.

Allowed Actions:

  • Boosting and social collaboration: playing via system link, using accessibility features to play together remotely, or participating in boosting sessions.
  • Manipulating your system date and/or time: Changing your date or time to unlock achievements.
  • Automation: Using turbo controllers, scripts or programmable microcontrollers to automate input.
  • Using in-game tools: Using cheat codes or an in-game console that is unlocked by default (e.g., console commands in Fallout 3 (PC)).
  • Downloading user-generated in-game content: Accessing content via an in-game browser or mod store built into the game, or joining a shared world.
  • Using exploits or glitches: Exploiting bugs or other faults in program code, engine, or servers to gain an advantage.
  • Playing a game prior to its official release date.

Whilst the list above provides guidance for most situations, allowed actions are not limited to the examples listed above.

How do investigations work on TrueAchievements?

An investigation into a profile is opened in one of three ways:

  • Our algorithm detects suspicious activity on the account and automatically sets it to Non-Stat tracking.
  • A profile is reported by a user because they believe it to be in violation of our Cheat Policy.
  • A member of the Investigations Team finds a profile that they believe to be in violation of our Cheat Policy.

A member of the Investigation Team will then conduct a thorough investigation of the profile and compile a report of any violations. If no violations are found, the investigation is dismissed.

If violations are found, the findings are presented to the profile owner. The profile owner has one week to respond to the report and may be asked for additional information. Once all information is gathered, the investigators will vote on the evidence and defence presented.

Please note that all members are volunteers, therefore, this process takes time to complete.

What happens then?

If the Investigations Team is not convinced that the profile has violated our Cheat Policy, the complaint is dismissed and the profile will retain their previous tracking status. However, if the Investigations Team votes against the profile one of the following actions will occur:

Game Removal

Game removal removes all TrueAchievement score, any record of achievements, and statistics from leaderboards for a set number of games. Additionally, new achievements will no longer be registered on TrueAchievements in those games.

If an investigation finds that cheating occurred, the cheated games will be removed from the profile in the following cases without further action.

  • Any cheating occurred within 5 years: 1% of total games played are affected, up to a maximum of 3.
  • All cheating occurred over 5 years ago: 2% of total games played are affected, up to a maximum of 6.

The date of achievements and total count of games played at the time of the investigation determines eligibility.

Examples

Profile X has illegally obtained achievements within the last year, with 203 played games the profile may have up to two cheated games removed.

Profile Y has illegally obtained achievements from over 5 years ago, with 487 played games, the profile may have up to six games removed.

Non-Stat

Profiles that are not eligible for game removal will be placed on Non-Stat tracking. They will have no more than 10% percent of games (up to a maximum of 20) on their profile that show signs of cheating. The count of games played at the time of the investigation determines eligibility.

Profiles placed onto Non-Stat tracking:

  • Retain game and achievement syncing from Xbox Live.
  • Retain a TrueAchievement Score and TA Ratio.
  • Will not have their achievements won factored in any site ratio calculations.
  • Will not place on any TrueAchievement leaderboards.
  • Will not show in "Gamers who completed this game" lists or feed items.
  • May be unable to participate in some site events.

No Tracking

Profiles will be removed from our scanners if they contain more than 10% of their games cheated (or more than 20) . These accounts will be marked with a No Entry icon on their gamer homepage.

  • No achievement tracking at all

Appeals process

Once the Investigations Team has reached a conclusion and profile owners have been informed of our decision, they have the right to appeal the decision.

If they believe our decision was incorrect then they can produce statements and evidence that present a case outlining why. The appeal will be reviewed by an admin and, if deemed relevant, will be brought before the Investigations Team for further consideration.

Abuse will be dismissed without further consideration and could potentially lead to further action from the moderation team.

Privacy

We value our user’s privacy and want this process to be and remain fair. Hence, we will never make public:

  • The identity of the reporter.
  • The members of the Investigations Team.
  • The report itself (however, the profile holder may request the results be made public).

Please note that we do not have any power to remove achievements from Xbox Live - that is solely the preserve of Microsoft.

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